1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fuel injectors and nozzles, and more particularly to injectors and nozzles for gas turbine engines.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of devices and methods are known in the art for injecting fuel into gas turbine engines. Of such devices, many are directed to injecting fuel into combustors of gas turbine engines while reducing undesirable emissions. With the increased regulation of emissions from gas turbine engines have come a number of concepts for reducing pollutant emissions while improving the efficiency and operability of the engines.
Modern gas turbine engine designs include providing high temperature combustion temperatures for thermal efficiency throughout a range of engine operating conditions. High temperature combustion minimizes emissions of some undesired gaseous combustion products, such as carbon monoxide (CO) and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), and particulates, among other things. However, high temperature combustion also tends to increase the production of nitrogen oxides (NOX). Thus measures must be taken to provide thermally efficient operation within a temperature range that minimizes NOX, CO, and UHC.
One method often used to reduce unwanted emissions is staged fuel injection, wherein the combustion process is divided into two (or more) zones or stages, which are generally separated from each other by a physical distance, but still allowed some measure of interaction. Each stage is designed to provide a certain range of operability, while maintaining control over the levels of pollutant formation. For low power operation, only the pilot stage is active. For higher power conditions, both the pilot and the main stages may be active. In this way, proper fuel-to-air ratios can be controlled for efficient combustion, reduced emissions, and good stability. The staging can be accomplished by axial or radial separation. Staged fuel injectors for gas turbine engines are well known in the art.
It is difficult to provide thermally efficient, low emissions operation over the widening range of conditions in gas turbine engine designs. Additionally, during low power operating conditions, conventional staged fuel injectors only have fuel flowing through one of the staged fuel circuits. Measures must be taken to control temperatures in the stagnant fuel circuit to prevent coking within the injector. In the past, attempts were made to extend injector life by passively insulating, actively cooling, or otherwise protecting the fuel circuitry of fuel injectors from carbon formation during low power engine operation.
Along with staged combustion, pollutant emissions can be reduced by providing a more thoroughly mixed fuel-air mixture prior to combustion wherein the fuel-to-air ratio is below the stoichiometric level so that the combustion occurs at lean conditions. Lean burning results in lower flame temperatures than would occur with stoichiometric burning. Since the production of NOX is a strong function of temperature, a reduced flame temperature results in lower levels of NOX. The technology of directly injecting liquid fuel into the combustion chamber and enabling rapid mixing with air at lean fuel-to-air ratios is called lean direct injection (LDI).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,815 to Hura et al. describes a lean direct injection system, which utilizes radially-staged combustion within a single injector. The pilot fuel delivery is of the “swirl-cup” type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,884 to Ekstedt, wherein a pressure swirl atomizer sprays liquid fuel onto a filming surface where the liquid film is stripped off into droplets by the action of compressor discharge air. The main fuel delivery system utilizes a series of discrete atomizers that spray radially outward into a swirling cross-flow of air. The main fuel delivery is staged radially outboard of the pilot, and operates in the fuel-lean mode. Separation of the pilot combustion zone from the main combustion zone is achieved by radial separation as well as an air jet located radially between the two combustion zones.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,840 to Crocker et al. discloses a lean direct injection system, which also utilizes radially-staged combustion within a single injector. The pilot fuel delivery is of either a simplex air-blast type, or a prefilming air-blast type, and the main fuel delivery system is of a prefilming air-blast type. The radial staging of the pilot and main combustion zones is achieved by ensuring that the pilot combustion zone remains on-axis with no central recirculation zone.
U.K. Patent Application No. GB 2 451 517 to Shui-Chi et al. describes a pilot circuit divided into a primary and secondary fuel split. The primary circuit includes a pressure atomizer (simplex) on the centerline that is used for low power operation. The secondary pilot circuit is radially outboard of the primary circuit and is in the form of circumferentially spaced ports aimed towards the centerline. These circumferentially spaced ports are prone to external and internal carbon concerns.
Such conventional methods and systems have been generally considered satisfactory for their intended purposes. However, there still remains a continued need in the art to provide for staged operation in a pilot only mode for a substantial portion of the operating thrust while having lower requirements of fuel delivery pressure and reducing the chance of carbon formation. There also remains a need in the art for such methods and devices that are easy to make and use. The subject invention provides a solution for these problems.